1. Bill Arp Elementary Mrs. Cooper’s Class 2016-2017
Sneak-A-Peek
Bill Arp Elementary
Mrs. Cooper’s Class

2. Welcome to First Grade!
We are going to have an interesting and productive year filled with exciting activities!

3. About Mrs. Cooper My background and experience
I grew up in Stockbridge, GA.
I moved to Douglasville in 2006.
I got married in the Summer of 2008.
I have a B.S. in Early Childhood Education
from the University of West Georgia, a M.A. in Instruction
from Central Michigan University, and an Ed.S. in Early
Childhood Education from the University of West Georgia.
This will be my 11th year teaching elementary school.
I have taught 1st and 2nd grade.

4. Behavior Management
One of the most important aspects of our classroom is following rules.
It is mandatory that we have rules to promote an orderly and safe atmosphere for teaching and learning to occur.

5. Behavior continued…
We will be discussing the classroom and school rules and expectations during the first week of school.
I will be sending a behavior contract with your child discussing the rules and consequences.
A parent and student signature will be required on the behavior contract.

6. Bill Arp’s Red Folder Tuesdays
All information coming from the office, PTA, and/or the school system will be sent home on Tuesdays in a red folder.
Completed/Graded Work will also be in this folder.
Progress reports and report cards will be sent home in this folder.
Please look through the red folder each
Tuesday night, remove or sign the
information, and return it on Wednesday.

7. Travel Folder
The travel folder is primarily used for communication and homework.
Please check the folder EVERY NIGHT and return to school DAILY!
Front pocket-notes to and from home/school, transportation notes, lunch money, notes for me)
Back pocket-homework assignments
This folder will also include important information such as a daily behavior, sight word list, reading log, and several other academic sheets.

8. Homework
Homework assignments are listed on a monthly homework sheet in your child’s Travel folder. 
Homework is given Monday through Thursday. Please assist your child daily.
Students should keep homework in the back pocket and it will be checked every Friday.
Homework reinforces, extends and enriches classroom learning. It establishes a window through which parents can encourage and review their child’s learning progress. It should only take minutes plus reading time before bed.

9. *Typical week of homework…
20 minutes of Reading (recorded on a daily log in travel folder)
Spelling practice
Sight word and reading fluency practice
Math practice (could involve review sheets, math facts, etc.)

10. Completed/Graded Work
All graded work will be sent home on most Tuesdays in the red folder.
Review graded work with your child and remove papers from the folder. Please sign and return all papers that receive a failing grade (below 70%). Students may redo failed assignments for extra credit.
Please return the red folder the following day with your signature on the sheet located in the page protector of the folder.

11. Grading Scale A=
B=80-89
C=71-79
D=70
F=Below 70

12. Parent/Teacher Conferences
We will have two conferences during the school year. Additional conferences may be needed.
If you need to schedule an additional conference, give me a call or send an .
For your convenience, conferences may be held over the phone or in person.

13. Special Areas 9:50-10:35 PE
Your child will have PE 2-3 times during the week. Please make sure they have appropriate shoes.
Music and Art
Students will have music and art throughout the week.
A final specials schedule will be sent in the travel folder.

14. Money Send ALL money in the front zipper pocket of the travel folder.
Your child is responsible for taking money to the office.
All money should be placed in a sealed envelope indicating the purpose, amount, student’s name, student’s ID #, and homeroom teacher’s name.
ASP money is given directly to the office. Please do not send it in the travel folder.

15. Breakfast/Lunch Breakfast 7:15-7:45 $1.25 Lunch 12:00-12:30 $2.10
*It is the parent’s responsibility to keep up with the child’s account balance. Please visit the online lunch system on DCSS’s website. Contact Denise Caldwell if you have any questions concerning lunch money.

16. Snack
Please send in a nutritious snack daily with your child (fruit, veggie, crackers, etc.). We will have snack each day around 10:30am.
Your child may bring a sports bottle of water each day. Juice or sodas are not allowed in the classroom.

17. Early Arrivals/Bus Room
When students arrive at school, they will go to the cafeteria for breakfast or report to the “bus room.”
Each first grade teacher has been assigned certain days to keep students who arrive between 7:15-7:45 in the bus room.
The bus room will have a sign outside the classroom door on the 1st grade hall.

18. Absences/Tardiness
School begins promptly at 8:00. Arrival time should be 7:15-7:50. Announcements are over by 8:00 so it is best that students are present by 7:45am.
Students must be physically in the room when the 8:00 bell rings or they will be marked tardy.
Absences will require a written excuse note. Please send all notes in the front pocket of the travel folder.
Check the student handbook for more attendance information.

19. Makeup Work
First Grade is largely a hands-on environment. Therefore, I cannot teach your child adequately if he/she is not at school and on time. If he/she is only five minutes late every day, that cuts into 900 minutes of learning!
If your child is absent, I will send home any written assignments he/she misses. This by no means takes the place of the many hands-on activities, lessons, discussions, reading groups, graphic organizers, cooperative learning, etc.
All students will receive credit for satisfactory makeup work after an excused absence. A student will be given as many days as he/she was absent to make up assignments. Teachers are not required to provide assignments prior to an absence.

20. Change in Transportation
If your child is going home a different way than usual, please send a written note to school in the front pocket of the travel folder.
A note should be sent each day the child has a change of transportation.
We are unable to change transportation over the phone or through . Emergency changes may be made through the office.

21. What do we learn in 1st grade?
Writing
Each student has a writing portfolio. Students are graded based on a first grade writing rubric.
The rubrics will be sent home so that you know what level your child is on and how to work on reaching the next level.
We will be using the Lucy Calkins units of study in opinion, information, and narrative writing.

22. Writing cont.
I will have conferences with each student to discuss how to improve their writing.
One way children improve in reading is through writing, so I will do a lot of whole group writing activities throughout the year.

23. Words of the Week
Vocabulary Words(Bonus Words)-Your child will be assigned vocabulary words each week that correspond to the upcoming concepts.  Your child should be able to read, understand the meaning of and use each word correctly in a sentence.  These words are also used as bonus spelling words. 

24. Words of the Week
Dolch/Sight Words- Dolch words are high frequency words that your child needs to memorize.  The first grade goal is to learn all 617 words by the end of the year. Students will be expected to practice them in the classroom and at home and will be tested on them every nine weeks. Dolch words are not to be “sounded out.”  These words should become automatic for your child. Research has shown that about 80% of what we read and say is a dolch word.  These words are vital to your child’s reading success and we will
stress their importance throughout the
entire year. 

25. Words of the Week cont.
Spelling Words- Your child will be given a set of spelling words on Monday depending upon his/her level. The level is determined with a pretest given every Friday. He/she needs to learn how to spell these words correctly. These words will be assessed at the end of each week.

26. Reading
Your child will have a 20 minute reading assignment Monday through Thursday. A reading log is placed in the Homework Folder for you to fill out daily.
Daily reading is vital to ensure adequate progress in First Grade.  We will closely monitor reading strategies used by your child and plan texts accordingly to increase his/her reading abilities.  We will assess reading comprehension and fluency as well. 
It is important that your child practice reading at home as well as during class time.
Students will be allowed to visit the library for books on their reading level.
During Guided Reading, I can work on specific reading skills with your child.

27. Math
There will be daily problem solving activities and problem solving tests given every week.
We will be using calendar math everyday which helps with repetition of important math concepts.
There will be timed tests weekly to assess math facts.
By the end of first grade, your child will be responsible for knowing the basic addition and subtraction facts to 18.  These facts are the basis for more advanced computation.  Please practice these with your child. You may purchase or make addition and subtraction flash cards for more drill and practice at home.  In order to make these facts automatic, reduce the delay time it takes for your child to respond with the sum or the difference, students need lots of practice.

28. Social Studies/Science
Our Social Studies and Science units are thematic. Students will use informational reading skills to explore different concepts. Students will have a few projects that they will complete to show what they’ve learned.

29. iText my Students
To receive text messages from Mrs. Cooper, please refer to the Remind flyer that was handed out at Sneak-A-Peek.
I will send texts throughout the year with important information and reminders.
With Remind, all personal information remains completely confidential.

30. Contact Information
Mrs. Cooper’s Room (770)
Front Office Number (770)
My primary method for communicating with parents will be through the remind app or . Please let me know if your address changes.
Please visit our classroom blog to learn more about what is going on in our classroom throughout the year…